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2010 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, Pessac-Léognan (Pre-Arrival) Product Zoom

2010 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, Pessac-Léognan (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #1067246 97 points James Suckling

Wonderfully complex nose in this white with ripe lemon, green papaya, lime peel and lots of ripe yellow peach. Full and focused, it offers a beautiful ripe acidity and silky texture on the palate. Long and precise finish with lots of flowers and mineral. What a wonderful white wine! Drink or hold. (2/ 2013)

95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A stunning wine with hints of pineapple, caramelized citrus, mandarin oranges, smoky figs and hazelnuts, this is a full-bodied, rich, superb white Graves from the Cathiard family. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035. (2/ 2013)

95 points Wine Enthusiast

A rich, ripe and finely balanced wine. Its acidity cuts through the full pear and apricot flavors to give a tight crispness. At this stage, it is all fruit and acidity, but it does have the potential for greatness with a more complex sense coming from the wood aging and the fine, tight texture. (3/ 2013)

91-94 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Green-tinged bright gold. Intense, pungent, floral-accented aromas of pear skin, stone fruits and rosemary are complicated by vanilla, smoke and dusty minerals. Explosive on entry, then sweet and dense in the middle palate, with tropical fruit and fresh herb flavors nicely lifted and extended by lively acidity. Finishes with a repeating smoky mineral character, excellent length and complexity and attractive restraint. A lovely understated white wine in the making. (8/ 2011)

94 points Wine Spectator

Loaded with layers of blanched almond, white peach, yellow apple and Cavaillon melon fruit flavors, all backed by piercing chamomile, fleur de sel, citrus oil and green plum notes. The finish shows vivacious acidity. This is the rare dry white Bordeaux that actually needs cellaring. Best from 2015 through 2020. (3/ 2013)

James Halliday

Full, dense and creamy with a touch of grapefruit for freshness. Dry and long and refined. Drink 2015-2025. (11/ 2012)

K&L Notes

90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon Gris.

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Price: $117.99
JS 97 RP 95 WE 95
ST 91-  94 WS 94

Real Time Inventory by location:

The item you have chosen can be pre-ordered. Below is the current quantity available for this pre-arrival/special order product within our database. It is never more than five minutes old. Additionally, our shopping cart looks at real time inventory so when you add an item to you cart we will do an immediate check of available inventory and alert you if there are any issues.

This product is expected to arrive for shipment or pickup by December 10, 2013.

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Product Reviews:

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By: Steve Greer |  K&L Staff Member  |  Review Date: 2/11/2013  | Send Email
Toasty oak nose, rich mid-palate.

By: Clyde Beffa Jr. |  K&L Staff Member  |  Review Date: 2/11/2013  | Send Email
** An intense wine done in a richer style, but with a fresh mouthfeel. The acidity is perfect here.

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Additional Information:

Varietal:

Semillon

- A rich, viscous, full-flavored but subtly-scented and botrytis-prone white grape, Sémillon reaches magical heights when infected with "noble rot" and combined with even small amounts of the aromatic and high-acid Sauvignon Blanc to make Sauternes, one of the world's most revered and longest-lived wines, and in the sweet wines of surrounding regions like Barsac. Sémillon's most famous incarnation is in the wines of Château d'Yquem, one of the world's most expensive wines, and one that has been known to evolve for centuries. It frequently dominates, but not by much, in the oak-aged whites of Bordeaux's Graves and Pessac-Léognan, creating honeyed and viscous wines that are unlike any others. Elsewhere in Bordeaux and around France it takes on a supporting role in the wines of Entre-Deux-Mers and the Médoc. While planted throughout France, Europe, California and Washington, Sémillon's role as underling usually keeps it out of the spotlight with a few winery-specific exceptions. However, the grape is allowed to shine in Australia's Hunter Valley, where it is used to make an elegant dry wine often called, perplexingly, Hunter Valley Riesling. It also makes some incredible dry, oaked wines from the Barossa and lovely stickies in the style of Sauternes.
Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them. Click for a list of bestselling items from all of France.
Sub-Region:

Bordeaux

- View our bestselling Bordeaux.
Specific Appellation:

Pessac-Leognan/Graves

- Graves is the large red and white wine region located to the southeast of the city of Bordeaux along the Garonne River. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the red wines from the area, while the whites are mixtures of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The most important area within the Graves is the village of Pessac-Leognan. Most of the great chateaux, including Haut Brion, a premier cru and the only wine outside of the Medoc to be included in the 1855 Classification, are located in this small appellation. Graves derives its name from the rocky, stony terrain of the region. Many people believe that the stony soil radiates the day's heat at night and thus makes the grapes ripen earlier than the other regions in Bordeaux.